Aman is opening a new resort in Q4 2015 in the Dominican Republic, set on a clifftop overlooking the crescent-shaped Playa Grande beach and framed by the dramatic Cordillera Septentrional mountain range. The resort is set to become the hotel group's first
golf-integrated property.
The Amanera resort is named after the Sanskrit word for peace, Aman, and era, the word for water in Taino – the language historically spoken by indigenous people of the Caribbean. The resort is located on 2,000 acres of virtually untouched land.
It will include an Aman Spa with both single and double treatment rooms, and will “adopt a holistic approach to wellness through relaxation and movement,” the company said. The treatment menu will include massages, facials, scrubs and wraps, as well as a number of signature spa journeys with a nod to traditional energy-based shamanic healing.
Additional wellness facilities will include a steamroom, sauna and relaxation room, as well as a fitness centre and personal training studio. Madison Collection has provided custom terry linen for the resort.
Designed by John Heah, the resort sits atop 60-foot cliffs and features 25 casitas demonstrating raw, organic design that complements the natural setting. Each of the casitas has unobstructed ocean views from a terrace, and 13 feature their own 10m private swimming pool.
Natural materials including stone from local quarries, indigenous handmade Aguayo tiles and Dominican art and artefacts are found throughout. The casitas also all have flat, biodiverse roofs that cultivate green gardens and further blur the lines between dwelling and jungle.
Spread over 370 acres, the Playa Grande Golf Course, originally designed by architect Robert Trent Jones, Sr., has been revived by Jones’ son, Rees Jones, known for his role in sprucing up many U.S. Open venues.
“Amanera will embody the true spirit of Aman,” said Olivier Jolivet, CEO of Aman. “It is the perfect example of how we take an unexpected destination and within it, find the most exceptional and dramatic location to create a sybaritic hideaway unlike any other.
"Amanera will demonstrate our continued commitment to curating resorts of architectural distinction that harmoniously integrate into the pristine environments they occupy.”